Digital Camera control software?

So I'm taking a bunch of pics at regular intervals to show my class how this borax/glue slime slowly collapse and spread. This happens over the course of a few minutes and it gave me an idea. Is there any software out there that you could hook up your digital camera to and have the software take pictures with at a regular interval?

I highly doubt cameras were ever built with the ability to have such control handed over through the usual ports that you use to download pics off the camera. My only experience is with astronomy cameras, which obviously were built to have total control taken by a computer. The interwebs have amazed me before though.... anyone ever heard of anything like that?

Canon SLR's don't have a build in intervalometer, but they are all completely controlable by an extern computer, which includes an intervalometer. So whenever you can set up your laptop you're in business.